Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11319 – EPEI / CASINO) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2023-12-07
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Brazil, Cameroon, France, consumer goods, economic concentration, electronic commerce, electronics, foodstuff, investment company, merger control, retail trade, wholesale trade








C_202301477EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2023/1477


7.12.2023






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11319 – EPEI / CASINO)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2023/1477)


1.   
On 1 December 2023, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






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EP Equity Investment S.à r.l. (‘EPEI’, Luxembourg), controlled by Mr. Daniel Křetínský,










—


Casino, Guichard-Perrachon S.A. (‘Casino’, France), controlled by Groupe Rallye ultimately controlled by Mr. Jean Charles Naouri.




EPEI will acquire, within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control of the whole of Casino.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






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EPEI is an investment company active in various business areas, such as food wholesale in the cash & carry format, retail sale of daily consumer goods, acquisition and management of media assets, publication of magazines, energy, infrastructure, postal and delivering services, e-commerce, wholesale and retail of electronics and other non-food products, video gaming sector,










—


Casino is a mass-market retail group active in retail sale of daily consumer goods segment through hypermarkets, supermarkets, discount stores and convenience stores in France, Brazil, and Cameroon. Casino also operates in France as an online retailer and operator of the marketplace Cdiscount focused on electronics and other non-food products.






3.   
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.
Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


4.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.11319 – EPEI / CASINO
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
Postal address:






European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË






(1)  
            OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  
            OJ C 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1477/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)